Hello!

So this week has been a week of miracles, just one after the other! Since coming to Alessandria, I've been praying, ALOT, for the success, and for help with the work, for miracles. And we got them! Just one after the other! All the week long, pure miracles! I hope that the trend continues! It really put into perspective the role of God in our lives. We can work all day long and see nothing from our fruits, but if we just stand back, and ask for God's help, He'll give it. And we can't imagine what he's willing to give us. In District Meeting last week, I talked about God's grace, and about how it works. We don't earn it. We don't do anything to deserve it. It's all about our faith, and real intent, that desire to act, and to bring about good things. While we can't sit back and do nothing, I think it's important to recognise all of our success comes from God, not of ourselves. To have that grace work in our lives, we just need to have faith and real intent. President Wolfgramm talked alot about real intent in the last Zone Conference. Without it, we're sunk. As we truly desire what God desires, not for our sake, but for other's sakes, and God's sake, then the miracles really come into play, and we really start seeing the hand of the Lord in everything that comes to pass. This week, do everything that you can to cultivate that real intent. It's something that really makes the difference. Wanting the right thing for the right reasons, and being willing to do whatever it takes to get it.

I love you all!

Anziano Nelson

Hello!
So we had a very special experience on the weekend. After their baptisms we confirmed a family on Sunday, and I've never seen a confirmation like the one of the mother. As we laid our hands upon her head, she just started to cry. As the prayer started, she started sob, loudly. When I say loudly, I mean I don't think anyone outside the circle could hear the prayer, even with the microphone. Afterwards, we learned what had happened. She'd just felt the Spirit so much, that it overpowered her. She never felt it that strong before, and couldn't control herself. Ever since, all she'll talk about is how she felt at the confirmation. She always says that while she felt good until her Baptism, and great after her Baptism, it is the confirmation that will always stay in her mind. She is showing such a great example for the rest of us here in the Ward, the appreciation for spiritual things. She was just so open and ready for the Spirit that when it came, it came with full force. The Spirit was so strong in the Sacrament meeting, I don't think there was anyone that wasn't touched. I really hope that I, and everyone else, can be so receptive to the Spirit, that there is no barrier between me (/us) and the Spirit, that we can be carried away by the Spirit like she was.
I love you all,
Anziano Nelson

Hello!

So this week I spent alot of time in bed, rather ill. One day I woke up on time, prayed, then the instant I finished praying, I collapsed and was asleep again before hitting the pillow (literally) and woke up two hours later, thinking it had been only a couple of seconds. Unfortunately, I didn't feel much better for my sleep. Unable to do finding work, I found alot of time to read and pray. I also noticed something. I'd been praying for the success and morale of the missionaries in the area, and I'd realised just how much I'd come to love those missionaries, even though I'd never even met some of them, and had barely spoken to any of them. Just by spending time thinking and praying for them, my love had grown for them. It gave another meaning to what one of the General Authorities had said in the MTC, "love is time". It doesn't take much to love someone, just to spend some time on them. It's nothing profound, but it's just something that hit me in the last week or two.
Well I hope that you all have a great week, and that you all find the time to love one another!
Anziano Nelson

Hello! I hope you are all well! I hope that you enjoyed General Conference? The story that stuck out was in Elder Nelson's talk, with the man who had a voice tell him to stop the boys on the bikes, then saw the Missionaries. I wouldn't believe it if it didn't happen on the Mission, but it does! It's wonderful how much the Lord is willing to do to help us in our lives. There is nothing that He is not willing to do in order to make us truly happy, except force us. There is also a connect incident. Coming out of that session, it was the first time I'd met many of the members. During the talk, Elder Nelson talked about his grandaughter who is serving in Italy (I met her in the MTC). In Italian there is no difference between granddaughter and grandson, both are "nepote" (which also happens to be the word for niece and nephew). So they would come up to me (or I to them) and the first thing they'd do, after having just heard that Elder Nelson's grandchild is serving in Italy, is look at my badge and read (translated) "Elder Nelson". Each time there was a confused look, the look of recognition, the look of wonder, then the inevitable question: "Are you related to the Apostle?!" I think I had the response memorised by the end of the night! Anyway, back to the spiritual side of things. I know that each one of you who watched General Conference had the Holy Spirit whispering things to your heart as the prophets and Apostles spoke. Telling you something that you need to do. My challenge to you is to do it, regardless of the cost or pain, do it! It's something that will bless each one of us, I'm confident, so long as we're obedient to the voice of the Lord. I love you and look forward to hearing from you soon! Anziano Nelson.

Hello! So Monday I found out my next city: Alessandria! It's on the west coast near Genova. I'm excited! I've had three companions who've served there in the past, and they all loved it. Well, yesterday we had a great breakthrough. Our investigator, after many years of trying, stopped smoking! I'm really proud of him, he has really come a long way. He had lost confidence in himself, and had all but given up, but after a really powerful lesson last week, he finally managed to overcome it! The Missionaries here still have a work to do, but the big hurdle is out of the way. There was special moment in which I said that I was sorry if I'd been hard with him in the past, and he turned and said "Don't be. It was what was needed to get me here, without those rebukes, I wouldn't be at this point. You're the Elder who got me this far." I really appreciate alot more now the need to stay strong, to rebuke when necessary, and then to show an increase in love towards them (D&C 64:5 I think), and to always maintain faith in a person. Sometimes we lose faith in people, but we should keep it, when the faith becomes tried, and survives, that's when the miracles happen. I love you all! Anziano Nelson.